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Castle Rock Fire Along With All Douglas County Fire Districts Use App to Save Lives

The Douglas County 911 Authority Board is funding a life-saving smartphone application that is now available to the community and free to download.

PulsePoint Respond is a mobile app that alerts CPR-trained citizens to someone nearby experiencing a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). The app is activated by the local 911 public safety communications center simultaneous with the dispatch of local fire and medical resources. The purpose of the app is to increase the survival rates of cardiac arrest victims by reducing collapse-to-CPR and defibrillation times. The app is only alerted if the CPR needed event is occurring in a public place (not residential addresses) and the user is within a quarter mile of the person who needs help.

SCA is a leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1,000 deaths per day or one person every two minutes. SCA can happen to anyone at any time and many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors. Delivery of CPR is a life-saving first aid, and can sustain life until paramedics arrive by helping to maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain. The American Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

In addition to the life-saving CPR/AED functionality, the app provides a virtual window into fire and EMS activity in the community, offering a unique opportunity for civic engagement. Since the app requires a connection to the local public safety communications center, it is only available where adopted and implemented by the local fire districts.

Thanks to the progressiveness of the Douglas County 911 Authority Board, residents, business owners and visitors to Douglas County are now able to join a virtual community of live-savers, ready to take action to help someone in needed.